Golf is a highly popular sport among people of all ages. As such, the golf equipment industry is constantly seeking to improve the design and performance of golf equipment, specifically golf clubs, to meet the demands of golfers. Importantly, the golf industry is limited in creating new designs of golf clubs by the United States Golf Association (USGA), which has established rules governing the characteristics of golf club heads. For example, the club head must meet certain size specifications, have no holes through the head, and have no appendages through the main body of the club head. Without these rules, technology, not skill, would be the key factor in success of the game.
Of critical importance in the sport of golf is the ability of a golf club to propel a golf ball a long distance in a straight line upon actuation. Throughout the history of golf, there have been numerous attempts to design a golf club head that will maximize distance and decrease spin of a golf ball upon actuation, and this continues today. One such attempt to maximize distance is to create a golf club head with a flexible striking face that deforms or deflects upon impact with a golf ball and thereafter immediately rebounds back to its original, non-deflected shape thereby propelling the golf ball forward. However, such deflection or deformation may undesirably increase the contact area between the golf ball and the golf club face. Additionally, such deflection may increase the contact time between the golf ball and the golf club face. An increase in either or both the contact area and the contact time is likely to result in an increase in the spin of the golf ball, thereby causing the golf ball to travel in a curved trajectory as opposed to traveling in a straight line. Additionally, an increase in the contact area and the contact time may decrease the amount of energy that is transferred to the golf ball.
It has been recognized that it would be desirable to provide a golf club head that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and that will have minimal or no deflection of the golf club face upon impact with a golf ball, thereby increasing the distance and reducing the spin of a golf ball. As a result, designs of golf club heads that will satisfy these desirable qualities are continually being sought.